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"You know I'm getting quite accustomed to eating snake now. I almost like it," Lee laughed.
"It kept you strong…" Chase smiled.
"That it did, my friend." Lee laughed.
***
Flames licked the darkness, crackling like a bird as they ate. Katherine watched them all with new eyes. She wished she understood herself, but she didn't. She felt so misplaced, so confused by all the new information.
Thoughts of Josh filtered through her head and she felt the knot in her chest to cry, but she held it tight.
The men talked for hours, and Katherine bade
them goodnight. She found a spot under the old oak tree and made herself a pallet as she had when she was with Hawks. She had one thing here that she wanted, and tomorrow she would hunt for it.
Tears slipped silently down her cheek as she closed her eyes, it had been a long day.
Chapter Twenty Two
"What are they doing?" Katherine shouted when she saw the Captain digging the grave of Mr. Bowlins.
Chase studied Katherine a long moment, and then explained, "The Captain wanted to have another look at the bodies, to clear you of all the charges."
"To clear me…." She looked stunned.
"Yes, he said if he identified the bullets he could clear you of all the charges. It is in your interest that he does this," Chase informed her.
"Then…he won't press charges against me?" She asked tentatively.
"No, he won't." Chase smiled now at her perplexed look.
"So we won't have to stand trial at the fort?" She began to smile.
"You won't," he concluded.
"But…what about you?" she asked, her voice rising with indignation.
"I was scheduled to hang for killing a Sergeant. I'm probably going to hang…" Chase walked away.
But Katherine followed. "But there must be something we can do…"
Chase turned to look at her, "There's nothing, Katherine… The Captain agreed to speak up for me at the trial, about trying to save Lee and then helping to catch Hawks, but I'm already tried and convicted on the other charge, there is nothing he can do…"
Katherine stared at the Captain long and hard, wondering what it would take to convince him to just let Chase go, let him escape. It was worth an effort to try and persuade the Captain to let Chase go.
Slowly she moved towards him. "Captain, Chase told me what you are doing, and I thank you for it."
"I'm a fair man. And it sounds as though you've been through enough for a while. If what I find is the way Chase Rivers said it, then, you are not going to be charged with anything."
"That's more than fair, Captain. I appreciate you taking the time to investigate it. And Lee…?" she asked.
"Lee is still with me, still under my command. There will be no charges under the circumstances," he explained. "The station was burned down as Rivers said, he fought the Indians as he would have had he been with me during the time. I'll not accuse him of desertion."
"And Chase?" she asked in an almost whisper.
"I'm afraid that is out of my hands. All I can do for him under the circumstances is tell the General the things he did to save us all." The Captain firmed his lips and looked away as though he didn't like what he had to do.
"Is there nothing…?" She began
